OPINION
Newcastle United under-23s striker Elias Sorensen is no doubt one of the brightest prospects at the club at the moment.
He has netted 16 goals for the season with the youth side, which prompted many fans to urge Rafa Benitez to give him a first team chance based on the staggering form he was in. Perfect time to loan him out then, to give him some first hand first team experience.
League One side Blackpool ended up being the club who took on the 19-year-old until the end of the campaign. However, what followed would have angered many Newcastle fans.
He was named on the bench for the majority of his time with the club, and the Magpies were no doubt growing increasingly frustrated about. The point of him joining them was to get some crucial minutes under his belt and prove that he has what it takes to make a name for himself on Tyneside – so it was not a shock when he was recalled.
This is why Newcastle must be very careful over what they decide to do with Sorensen this summer. Loaning him out did not go according to plan last time, so they will no doubt be put off the idea of doing the same again this summer, unless a club can 100 per cent guarantee that he will get game time.
One other option is that Newcastle give him a chance to play with the first team. Perhaps this is the way to get his career kickstarted at the club.
Either way, United have an important decision to make. If they choose to loan him out again and it pans out the same way as his Blackpool spell did, then it could have a really negative effect on his confidence. If that happens, then he may not be the same player who has ripped it up for the under-23s.
Newcastle need to tread carefully over the dazzler’s future, as whatever they choose, it will have a great effect on him.
